Always Be My Baby
by DesperateDreams
Summary: *FIXED* Troy’s been struggling for the past month to move on. He’s been searching for the reason why Gabriella broke up with him. Will they stay together again when he had the chance to speak to her again? **Different summary inside** TxG


**Disclaimer: **I don't own any of the characters name and the title of the song mentioned in this story. I only own the plot and nothing else.

**Title: **Always Be My Baby _(Sequel to Better in Time)_

**Summary: **Troy's been struggling for the past month to move on. He's been searching for the reason why Gabriella broke up with him. Now that he has the time to ask her the question that's been bubbling inside of him, can he get the needed answer he's been waiting for long or a situation they both didn't expect change it all?

--

"_Love is an act of endless forgiveness, a tender look which becomes a habit."_

_  
_**_ Peter Ustinov_**

**-- **

**Always Be My Baby**

They always say that: "If you love someone, you should set them free." It's true that you should set the one you love free but what if the feeling is mutual? You both love each other and yet afraid of what each other might say. Should you still set them free and away from you? Tell them to see other because you're not worth of their time?

In love, it doesn't matter what is wrong and what is right. As long as you can control just a little bit of your feelings, everything will be alright. You don't need to listen to others on how to control your feelings that has grown big deep inside you. You'll get hurt and you will accept that as long as you're not hurting somebody else's feeling but what if you're the one who's hurting, are you still going to be a martyr?

For Troy Bolton, that's what he exactly feels. His girlfriend had broken up with him and for the past ten months, he never gotten over her. The feeling is still there even though she decided to break up with him with no apparent reason for him to conclude on. He set her free even though it will hurt her. He controlled his feelings and told himself that he shouldn't fall for her hard or else he'll get hurt in the end. And now, he's hurting.

The first time he saw her at the beginning of junior year on their college, he couldn't tore his gaze away from her. She's like an angel that had fallen from the sky and waiting for someone to bring her back to heaven. He's a transfer from another school and she's been studying there right when she started college. For the past week, the beauty stayed on his mind. Every time he'll see her at the hallways, he wanted the time to stop, the world to freeze for a moment. But only a simple smile gestured is given to him and he'll return it with a different smile – a smile that indicates that he had fallen for her but he will never let her know.

Weeks and weeks had passed and he barely saw her. Because of the time changed for the upcoming winter break, the only time he can see her was every morning – if he's lucky. Realization hit him when she went to school Monday morning with a guy holding her hands. His world crumbled down and his heart broke into million pieces. It hurt him even more when the simple smile she'd always give her is gone. He let her be happy with the guy she loves even though it hurts him.

What hurt him the most is when he found out that the guy is one of his teammate on the basketball team. He knows that the guy is a good guy but can be a jerk when it comes to girls. He also found out that the guy's girlfriend lasts long for a good month, if not, a week or two.

One time, when he was changing at the locker room, he overheard that her boyfriend is talking to one of his friend about dumping her. This made him boil in anger. He composed himself before going out of the locker room. He wanted to tell her but he knows that she won't believe him that's why he kept it until winter break arrive.

Just a day before winter break, he couldn't help himself. He went to one of the school's office and asked the person that has been that day if he can get the e-mail address of a girl named _Gabriella Montez. _He made a reason when he had asked why he needed it and the person bought it.

He wrote an e-mail to her that warnings her to be careful because he knows that her boyfriend will dump her. He doesn't know when but he still warned her. Of course, he didn't tell her who he is and on what school he studies. It's a secret he intended to keep until the right time come. To his expectation, she replied to his e-mail.

_Dear Mystery Guy, _(That's what he used when he e-mailed her)

_Thanks for the heads up. But I still can't figure out how you knew it. Are you some kind of a stalker or maybe an obsess student that wants to be involve to something drastic and end up in jail? Just kidding. But really, thanks for the advance warning. If my boyfriend broke up with me after winter break, I'll let you know._

_- Gabriella _

_P.S. When will I get to meet you?_

His heart soared when she replied to him. He replied to her and promised that she'll meet him when the time comes. After that, they started to exchange e-mail. As to what she had promised him, he was the first to know the break-up and he's happy that she trusted him enough.

Last semester of college, he finally told her that he'll meet her after a year of exchanging e-mails. He expected the worst but it came out good. He found out that she has starting to feel love towards him. It had taken time for the two of them to tell each other.

They spent their time together hanging out and each day, the feelings have grown and they didn't try to deny it. When graduation came, he asked her to be his girlfriend and she accepted. They both live with each other for four years and both work at the same workplace he's working in.

In the time span of four years, they had the bad side on their relationship but then quickly solved it with a simple talk without ending into an argument. They stayed strong as to what other people saw. Behind close door, their love boat is sinking down. This is what he doesn't want to happen and yet it happened.

The day came – the day he doesn't want to go back amidst of the memories it had brought to the both of them. He had wished that it was all a dream that he will woke up soon but its not. He had asked her why she wanted to end it and he didn't receive a good reason. Truth that be told, he's still thinking of what is the reason why she ended it up.

--

Here he is now, sitting at a local coffee shop looking at his phone. He's having second thoughts if he should call her or not.

What if she had changed her phone number? What if she moved to a different state or country? What if she has a family now? All these questions run through his head. He'll never know if he tries, right? Wrong. If he ever wants to answer the question on his head, he rather had someone do it for him. Reasons are first, he's a coward, second is he's a little too stubborn and lastly, he'll die from the sudden shock he's going to receive.

The chorus for the song "We Are Broken" played indicating that he has a call. He regretfully answered it knowing it is one of Chad's antics to ask him to play basketball.

"Hello" he answered tiredly

"Dude, where are you?" Chad's voice rang through the other end.

"Somewhere you'll never find me"

Chad had a knowing look on his face. He maybe dumb sometimes but when it comes to Troy's "girl problems" – especially _the_ one he says that the _only_ one for him – he knows where he is. "You're at that local coffee shop near her house again, aren't you?" he said with a smirk on his face.

Troy groaned inwardly, "Seriously, dude. When will you stop pestering me about her and how did you know I'm here." He closed his eyes regretting what he said last.

Chad chuckled, "Until you made a move and get her back. I know where you always go when you're missing her, hoping that when you go the place where you are right now, you'll see her again."

Troy can't lie now. His friend is right. When he misses her, he always goes to the local coffee shop near her house. He exhaled deeply.

"Fine, Chad. I'll call you later and _please _for the rest of the day, don't call me." Troy said getting annoyed at his friend calling every hour.

"Sure, Troy and I can't promise you anything."

They both hang up and Troy took the last sip of his coffee and shoved his phone back to his pocket before exiting the coffee.

--

This is it. This is the time he dreaded to come. He wanted an answer on why she had broken up with him or maybe he can get her back. There's a minimum chance he can get her back but he will not give up. He's going to do anything he can.

He rings the doorbell and waited for someone to open the door. Hands shoved in his pockets, sweat forming on his forehead and his heart beating rapidly. A voice saying 'coming!' made him very nervous. He hoped that he won't screw this up.

The door open and Troy's breathing hitch. There standing at the doorway is the girl he'd wanted to hold for the last ten months. Her appearance: light blue tight tank top, short shorts and her hair on a one-sided ponytail. She's still the girl that took his breath away from the first day of college. The angel that made the other angels sings.

"What are you doing here?" she asked in a cold voice

"I wanted to see you and maybe… we–we can… maybe talk?" he said hesitantly. He _really _wanted to talk to her just for five minutes, that's all he could ask for.

"I have nothing to tell to you. Isn't it clear enough for you the reason I broke up with you?" she said raising an eyebrow.

"No, it isn't. And I don't have any idea why broke up with me. That's why I'm here to talk to you." He said forcing himself to enter the house without any permission from her.

She turned around and glared at him. "Can you please leave before I kill you? Or do you want me to call a police and report you for-"

He cuts her off, "For what? For trespassing? Sure, do that. And I'll report you for attempted murder."

"WHAT?!" she furrowed her eyebrows. "Oh no, no, no, no. You can't do that. You're the one who came here without permission."

"Doesn't matter. You're the one who threatened to kill me." He said playing with her cool. He still knows how long she can keep her cool before she lost her temper.

"Fine!" She closed the door defeated. "I don't have time all day so you can start now."

"Why did you broken up with me?"

She turned her head to look at him with an annoyed expression. "I told you why I broken up with you – I'm not going to answer that."

He walked up to her and holds one of her arms. "I know it's just a lie, Gabriella. I want the _real _reason why." He said in a dangerously low voice.

"You want the real reason?" she asked looking at his blue eyes filled with anger. "I'll give you the reason. There are no reasons, Troy. It's my decision to break up with you."

"Why?" he whispered. "Why did you do it if there are no reasons?"

As Gabriella looked into his eyes, she saw that the anger turned into confusion and sadness. She tried to look or think for an answer that will make Troy understand why she broke up with him but she can't think of anything.

Troy is still holding Gabriella arm. It's not tight nor loose, just a firm hold. He can tell that she's thinking when she looked into his eyes.

"You're not going to answer? 'kay. I'll give you another question." He makes sure that he's still holding her gaze before starting. "Do you still love me?"

Gabriella gulped and looked away, avoiding his gaze. "I don't love you anymore."

Troy puts his finger under her chin and turned her head to look at him. He leaned closer and tightened his grip on her arm a little bit. "Look at me and tell me you didn't love me anymore and I'll let you go. You won't be seeing me… forever" he said in a low voice.

She's starting to get afraid. This is far from what she really wanted. She wanted him far but not that far that she won't be able to see him forever. Trying to hold back her tears that she's feeling to begin to form behind her eyes, she said, "I can't" faintly.

He tightened his grip on his arm and he holds her face. "Just say it" he hissed

"Troy let go. You're hurting me." She whimpered. The tears she tried to hold back are now falling to the side of her face. "Please let go" she pleaded.

"I'm not going to let go of you until you say what I want to hear."

"Let go. Please." She pleaded again. This time, she didn't care if she cried more than the last time she was hurt.

He let go of her and Gabriella falls down on the floor holding her arm with a visible redness that is starting to form and she started sobbing from the pain on her arms. She looked up at Troy with tears glistening on her eyes. Troy just stood there on his spot, ashamed of what he did to Gabriella.

Gabriella runs up the stairs to her room with Troy following her. Before she can open the door to her bedroom, Troy had grabbed her arm and engulfed her into a hug, her one arm keeping a little space away from both of their bodies.

Troy pulled away from the hug and takes a look at Gabriella's tear-stained face. He lifted his shirt off and wipes away her tears. Her crying subsided as soon as he wiped away her tears. He took away her hand that is holding her arm and he saw the redness that's still there. He felt guilty and there's no denying it.

Gabriella looked at him as he continued to look at her arm. Without a second to spare, Troy leaned in and kissed her arm. The shirt he's holding is now lying on the floor forgotten. He lifted her bruised arm and peppered it with kisses before putting it over his shoulder. She, on the other hand, had her eyes closed. She wanted to feel his lips again on hers. She's not a fan of waiting but for Troy, she's willing to wait.

As he puts her arm over his shoulder, he started to kiss her shoulders to her jaw line, cheek and down to her chin. The cleft chin that he loves even if it's not visible. When she turns her head a little, he can see the little valley between her chin and when she smiles, it disappears.

Pinning her to the wall, Troy kissed her on the lips. He missed those lips – the luscious lips he longed to kiss. He lifted her leg up and backed her away from the wall and carried her to the room they used to share before and now, sharing it once again. Making their way to the bedroom, Gabriella tried to get her top off but she didn't succeed and given up taking it off. Troy had made their way to the bedroom. He fumbled with the doorknob a little before opening it successfully. He kicked the door closed giving out a loud smack.

--

An hour and a half later, Troy wakes up and squint his eyes. He lifted up his head and looks around the room. He looked at the bedside table to look at the clock, it reads 5:30. He felt a weight shifted beside him and looks down to the person snuggled close to him. A smile formed on his face when he remembered the memories taken place earlier. It soon falls when reality hit him. It's just a huge mistake that they'll both regret. As much as he wanted to be with her, it can't happen. She already had moved on from him and sleeping together won't make them together.

Without any hesitation, he slowly gets out of bed avoiding waking up Gabriella. He slid on his boxers then his pants. His shirt is nowhere to be seen then he remembers that it has been forgotten outside the hall.

Slowly opening the door, he look at her sleeping figure for the very last time. _Wake up, please. Wake up before I go _he silently wished for her to wake up. Saying he is desperate to be with her again is an understatement, he is dying to be with her again. The way he had kissed her and the way she kissed back, there's no doubt that he really is dying to be with her again. Just one touch from her makes his insides go wild. There's something about her that can make him go weak; make him feel better when he's sick and make him shoot a three-point shot without looking. Oh yeah, she's an angel in disguise that can make the devil inside of him out. He can't get enough of her and yet he's broken inside.

He closed the door quietly and picks up his shirt that is on the ground. The tears that had dried on his shirt will never be a reminder of the hurt he'd cause Gabriella to cry because it's imprinted on his mind forever.

--

Gabriella started to wake up minutes later when Troy left the room. Her face has a smile plastered when she opens her eyes slowly. She patted the side of her bed and sits up straight when she felt that's Troy's gone. Clutching the blanket over her chest tightly, she looks over at the clock and it says 5:33.

She got out of the bed with the blanket still covering her body. She picked up all of her clothes that are scattered on the floor puts it quickly. She rid the bed sheet off and carries it to the laundry room.

Troy is sitting down at the front porch with his shirt lying on his chest. He didn't bother to put it on when he got out. His elbows resting against the steps of the porch while he's watching the sky and the clouds float. How he wished to be a cloud.

Walking to the living room, Gabriella saw a figure sitting outside her porch. She barely recognized the figure as its getting dark outside. She rushed to the door and opens it. To her surprise, she didn't expect that he'll stay. She had thought he already left.

"Troy?" she called out quietly.

Troy look behind him and quickly got up from his sitting position, revealing his body. For the first time, she saw it again. The amazing body she had loved before and loving again. _Still the same _she takes note as she continues to look at his body.

"What are you doing here alone?"

"I'm just watching the sky before I go." He said pointing at the now dark sky. "Gabriella," he started "what happened earlier was a mistake. I'm not thinking at that time." He said avoiding her gaze and Gabriella's face fell down.

She's totally hurt when he said it's a mistake because for her, it's not and it will never be part of a mistake she'll regret sooner or later. If he thinks it's a mistake then too bad.

"Oh." She replied in a low voice, hurt not evident.

Troy's eyes scans Gabriella's figure from feet to her face. His eyes landed on her arm that he had held earlier and saw that a bruise is starting to form. He quickly rushed to her and holds her bruised arm.

"I'm sorry." He said massaging her arm lightly. "I shouldn't have held you tight. I'm sorry"

"Its fine, Troy. You don't need to worry about it" Gabriella said taking her arm away from his. "You need to go. There might be someone waiting for you at your home." She said fighting the urge to break and show her feelings.

Troy nodded and slip on his shirt before turning around. He look at Gabriella and she just look down. She doesn't want him to see the sadness in her eyes. She'll only feel bad if he didn't go.

As soon as Troy turned around, Gabriella let her tears fall. The first one hurt her and now, she's hurting again. She won't let him walk away again, not this time that she finally knows that she truly love Troy even if she tried to tell herself she had fully moved on. Seeing him again brought back the feelings she once buried down.

Running after him, Gabriella hugged him from the back making Troy leaned forward a little. She doesn't care if she's wearing a tank top and short shorts; all she cares is to be with Troy again and for forever.

_This couldn't be happening _he thought to himself. He couldn't believe that Gabriella after him, mainly, he's the one that always runs after her but now, its reverse. The girl is the one running after a guy.

"I didn't mean for you to leave." She said in a hoarse voice. She tightened her hold on him to make sure he'll never go.

He smiled and turns around to face the girl he always loves. He cups her face in his hands and smiles at her. Brushing some of the tears away from her face, Troy's eyes looks at her lovingly.

"Don't cry, please?" he pleaded same with his eyes. It only made Gabriella cry more and jumped to him, clinging for dear life.

"I love you. I'm sorry I broke up with you. I regretted that day even though it's my fault why I broke up with you." She said on his shoulder followed by a sob.

"I love you, too. It's never been your fault why you broke up with me. So don't be sorry." He said softly as he rubs her back to make her stop cry.

"No, I should say sorry. I'm just afraid that the love between us has vanished. Every night, I always look at you while you sleep and asked myself 'what if the world is against us', 'what if you're getting bored with me', 'what if you're getting sick of seeing me at work and at home', 'what if... you don't love me anymore'." Again, she started to cry. Saying the questions she always ask herself made it hard for her. She knew that the questions she asks herself about are all negative, but she couldn't help think of it.

"I still remember what our family and friends said to us when we had a little get-together to celebrate our graduation. You still remember that they told us that we'll stay together long? Even strangers that walked pass us, they say the same." Her voice breaking. "How could they say that if they don't know what's happening behind close door? I lied to you earlier when I had said there are no reasons why I broke up with you. There is. There is a reason." She take a deep breathe and exhaled, still hugging him. "Two weeks before our break-up: you completely ignore me both home and at work. I don't know why or what your problem is to ignore me. The day before the break-up: I saw you with Marielle during lunch being cozy and laughing on something or rather someone, you didn't even notice me walk in the room. And when she had put her hand on your arm, you didn't care. You seem to like it. After that, I decided to resign. I didn't take it too well, Troy. I was devastated for two weeks." Her voice is not breaking but it sounded sad. Tears had stopped falling from her eyes when she started telling him the reason.

Troy felt so guilty. He holds her tighter into his strong arms as if telling that he won't let her go. His body is shaking on each word she had said. Nuzzling his face between her shoulder and neck, he said, "I'm sorry. I should've known you're hurting; we could've saved our relationship then. I never knew that you meant what you said to me ten months ago that you don't want to see me anymore that when I came to office the next day, you weren't there. That's when I realized you're not joking. I'm _so _sorry." He apologized.

"Right now, I don't care if you're going to send me to a guilt trip because I deserve it. If I could only turn back time, I will fix our relationship and be more attentive." He said seriously. "And right now, I won't expect you to ask me for me to take you back." As if reading her mind, Gabriella pulled away from him. A mysterious glint in her eyes.

"Will you take me back?" she asked with a smile as she pulled away from her embrace to Troy. He smiled as he didn't _really _didn't expect her to ask him after what he had said. His eyes show happiness and love towards her.

"Does taking you back mean forever?" he questioned, moving a stray hair off of her face.

She laughed and confirmed, "Forever."

--

**Okay… I had fixed it. Some are confused on what is happening in the story.**


End file.
